We got our son an Airsoft rifle for Christmas. It shoots pea-sized plastic BBs, and looks realistic.
On Sunday, during the blizzard, he walked back from a friend's house with it slung over his shoulder. About two minutes after he got home, I saw odd lights out of the front window, which I identified as flashlight beams. I figured that the police got a report of a man walking the streets with a rifle, so I didn't wait for the cops to knock on the door, I went to go out and explain. When I opened the door I heard "LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS". I held both hands out and said calmly and loudly "My son got a BB gun for Christmas, it's not a real gun". The cop reponded with "COME ALL THE WAY OUTSIDE", which I did, "WHO ELSE IS IN THE HOUSE?". As he came to me, he had his handgun drawn. "My wife, my daughter, and my son". One cop stays with me (and the dog) outside and the other (the yeller) went into my house, still with his handgun out. I learned later that he asked my daughter, who was in our livingroom, "WHO ELSE IS IN THE HOUSE?", and she responded that her mother was asleep upstairs and her brother was home. My son heard the commotion, and brought the gun from the kitchen to the livingroom, thankfully holding it out in front of him, by the barrel, with the barrel pointed at the ceiling. The yelling cop brought him outside and yelled "PUT YOUR HANDS AGAINST THE WALL", which he did. The cop frisked him, then held the gun in his face and said "SEE THIS? THIS'LL GET YOU KILLED!". They took our names and left.
On one hand, I understand how the mistake was made, and we've instructed our son that the gun gets broken down and put in a duffel when it travels. And if there had been a home invasion, the cops behaved in a way that protected themselves and ensured that my family was not being threatened.
On the other hand, I'm upset that I had a gun pointed at me. A friend asked me if I'm going to sue, since several of my civil rights were broken.
12-28-2010, 10:33 AM
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